The last of week of April is acknowledged as World Immunization Week.
The main motto is to raise awareness of the importance of child and adult
immunizations.
As per WHO results vaccines
prevent 2 to 3 million deaths annually from diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and
measles. In addition to averting illness and deaths, immunizations will lead to
limited spread of drug resistance as antibiotic use is reduced.
Rightly quoted by Walter A. Orenstein, MD, president
of National Foundation for Infectious Diseases “A key goal of World
Immunization Week is to increase global immunization
coverage”. Vaccines not only protect individuals but also saves
the community from the contagion.
Moreover children with some complications who cannot take medicines can be
helped through vaccination. High vaccination coverage helps to protect
vulnerable individuals, as eliminating transmission prevents exposure to vaccine-preventable
diseases. As reported last year, Minnesota witnessed the
largest measles outbreak owing to some anti-vaccine activists in an immigrant
community. Moreover, Influenza viruses are mutable and recent news in China cites
that avian influenza A (H7N9) virus has split into two strains out of which one
is resistant to existing vaccine.
With all these news coming to fore, it is quite evident that
while on one side people are least aware of the benefits of vaccination, on the
other hand the virus is growing more deadly and powerful. We have very less
time to waste now. This World Immunization Week, let us take the oath of learning
right things about flu, spreading genuine awareness and focusing more on better
disease surveillance and prevention.
This July (2nd
and 3rd), Vienna will
host two days of brainstorming sessions at “4th
International Conference on Influenza and Zoonotic Disease” delving deeper
into the roots of problem.
Be a part and visit: https://influenza.conferenceseries.com/
Feel free to contact: aiyanastewart2@gmail.com